1. Field of the Invention
The invention has to do with methods and machines for deburring items such as pressed metal products, e.g. compacts of finely divided sponge zirconium or hafnium metal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the production of sponge zirconium or hafnium compact metal products involving the pressing of particles of sponge zirconium or hafnium metal in a die under high pressure imparted by a piston, and usually a core rod, as in the production of flat washers for use in the fabrication of equipment and structures in the nuclear field, metal burrs often occur on the flat faces of the pressed product. Removal of these undesirable burrs has been difficult and costly. Various methods for removing such burrs have been tried, such as tumbling the products in a ball or rod mill, placing them on a vibrating screen, rubbing them together, and dragging them by a belt across a wear surface. However, these methods have generally resulted more in damage to the compacts than in effective removal of the burrs, largely due to the susceptibility of the sponge metal to galling.